South Bend's Early College requires a stable home

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

December 10, 2011

I would like to address a statement made by the newly hired South Bend schools superintendent, Carole Schmidt, in an article in the Nov. 17 Tribune. Schmidt stated, "Too much of the conversation is about adults." The attendance and performance of Early College is "just awesome," but "it doesn't happen in a place; it happens because of the people and the opportunity."

While I agree that the staff and the program itself are wonderful, I do not agree that where this opportunity takes place is not just as important. My son is a junior in the Early College program. I feel that it is rather hypocritical of administrators to ask us, as parents, to provide stability at home, so that our children are prepared to learn each day, while they weigh the possible decision to uproot the students and staff of this program for the second time since the program's inception, three years ago. This is the very definition of instability.

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It is not fair to ask our children to pay the price for the lack of foresight regarding the growth rate of the New Tech High School program. Early College deserves to stay put.

Marie RobinsonSouth Bend

DifferencesI no more oppose homosexual marriage than I oppose dragons. Neither exists. And neither can be created by congresses or courts.

The difference between homosexual marriage and dragons, however, is that there is no reason in principle or logic why dragons could not exist. A large lizard, given a wild twist of evolution perhaps, could fly and breathe fire. A lizard with wings and fiery breath would violate no laws of natural order or teleology.

In my definition of marriage, two men could never marry each other, because the definition,nature, essence and purposes of marriage (not to mention the history of marriage) could never be satisfied by such a union.

Brian PottsMishawaka

Bad reasoningWhat planet is Ezra Klein of the Washington Post (Opinion, Nov. 25) living on? He speaks of "deficits that don't yet exist." Yet the 2011 deficit was about $1.6 trillion and 2012 will still be north of $1 trillion.

He uses "lower interest" as one of the elements to eliminate the deficit. How much lower than almost zero can one go? After that, depending on whose projections you want to believe, at best the deficit will be north of $500 billion annually, even with rosy projections of economic growth. And that does not even address the enormous impact over the next decade of Obamacare and the critical state of Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.

Klein would have us believe that all problems go away with more revenue ($4 trillion). But give Washington more money and bureaucrats will find a way to spend it. There are some revenue enhancements that can and should be made. But first, cut the costs and force Washington to live within its means. Asked to do so by Obama, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson made serious and balanced recommendations. Since they were not to his liking, Obama promptly ignored them.

At least Klein is right in that their recommendations need to be put on the table in Congress -- now, not after yet another election cycle and another commission or supercommittee.

Tony HaleNiles

Wish for TramelleThe life I wished for Tramelle Sturgis ...In this world: Living on a tree-lined street, near school, walking distance to grandparents and cousins, with a park nearby is a day in the life for most 10-year-olds.

Being home by the time the streetlights came on and not riding your bike past the railroad tracks are the rules for most. Avoiding alleys and not taking candy from strangers are typical walking orders. Home is a place for nurturing, guidance and structure. Neighbors watch over the "neighborhood gang" as they play tag in the backyards.

Sadly, that life was not in the cards for Tramelle; quite the contrary.Who is at fault? What can we do? The answers are as simple as they are complex.

Somewhere, within all of our laws, policies and systems set up to protect children, he fell through the cracks. It is past time that these processes be evaluated and revised to ensure that the future Tramelles have the opportunity to live life without the horrifying effects of abuse.

The answers are not clear, but one thing is: Grown-ups let this child down.

While some of us are mandated by law to report any perceived child maltreatment, it is a moral obligation of us all to do.

Indiana Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline: 800-800-5556.

Kris ErmetiMishawaka

ResponsibleThe recent news of child abuse at Penn State is appalling. Jerry Sandusky was in a position to help these young boys who looked to him for guidance. Instead he is alleged to have abused his power and done unspeakable things to them. Legendary coach Joe Paterno was made aware of these acts but stopped after reporting them to the next person above him.

Who knows how many boys were violated after this? I agree that every person involved should be held accountable to a degree. The same accountability should be placed on the Catholic Church and its issues in the same arena. The cases are very similar. Men put into positions of authority to help children were reported to higher-ups for doing wrong and nothing was done. The cycle continued. If a Catholic bishop had been in charge of Penn State perhaps Sandusky would just have been transferred to another university.

That's what the church did. Maybe the fate of abusers should be determined by the victims' parents. Treat all child molesters the same. Just because a priest wears a white collar, his crime shouldn't be treated as a white-collar crime.